Preparation and properties of shape-stabilized phase change materials based on fatty acid eutectics and cellulose composites for thermal energy storage

• The fatty acid eutectic/carboxy methyl cellulose-1 composites as PCMs were prepared.
• Chemical structure and microstructure of composites were determined by FT-IR and SEM.
• Thermal properties and stabilities were investigated by DSC and TGA.
• The thermal cycling test confirmed that the composite has good thermal reliability.

Shape-stabilized fatty acid eutectics/carboxy methyl cellulose-1 composites as phase change materials (PCMs) were synthesized by absorbing liquid eutectics into the carboxy methyl cellulose-1 fibers. The chemical structure, crystalloid phase and morphology were determined by the Fourier transformation infrared spectroscope, X-ray diffractometer and scanning electronic microscope. The thermal properties and thermal stability were measured by the differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric analyzer and the thermal cycling test, respectively. The results indicate that the eutectics are well adsorbed in the porous structure of the carboxy methyl cellulose-1. According to the DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) results, the composites melt at 32.2 °C with latent heat of 114.6 kJ/kg and solidify at 29.2 °C with latent heat of 106.8 kJ/kg. The thermal cycling test proves that the composites have good thermal reliability. It is envisioned that the prepared shape-stabilized PCMs have considerable potential for developing their roles in thermal energy storage.